


Daphne and Fred

by pearlydewdrop



Series: Cute, Dorky and a Wee Bit Mental (Collection of Random Derry Girls Stories!) [5]
Category: Derry Girls (TV)
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Halloween Costumes, Inspired by Erin's Diary (The Official Derry Girls Book), Let's face it...if there's a damsel in distress in the gang---it's JAMES!, Scooby Doo References, Secret Crush, Sweet and Stupid!, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28957677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearlydewdrop/pseuds/pearlydewdrop
Summary: Even at the best of times, Derry's own wee English fella was a far cry from confident. Despite being naturally uncomfortable in his own skin, the events of Halloween Night 1995 took James Maguire's usual ever-present awkwardness to new and previously unthinkable heights!
Relationships: James Maguire & Erin Quinn, James Maguire/Erin Quinn, The Friendship Between All Five Derry Girls
Series: Cute, Dorky and a Wee Bit Mental (Collection of Random Derry Girls Stories!) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044645
Comments: 14
Kudos: 24





	Daphne and Fred

**Daphne and Fred.**

**_1995_ **

Even at the best of times, Derry's own wee English fella was a far cry from confident. Despite being naturally uncomfortable in his own skin, the events of Halloween Night 1995 took James Maguire's usual ever-present awkwardness to new and previously unthinkable heights!

It was a situation that the young English fella could have scarcely forseen for himself a week ago, let alone when he'd been going about his old life in London...

James tugged self consciously at the hem of his dress, wobbling in high heeled shoes and battling to keep plasticky ginger flyaways from sticking in his eyes.

There were several plausible explanations for how James had ended up strolling down the streets of Derry in his current attire; head to toe Daphne Blake. They were as follows...

_a. Michelle's blatant threat of 'ripping him a new hole' if he didn't just 'man up and put on the stupid feckin' dress!'_

_b. Listening to Orla's practically infectious outbursts of excitement all week at the prospect of dressing up as a talking cartoon blood hound (which she'd probably have done regardless of what the rest of the gang were wearing!)_

_c. Clare's mounting stress levels and her general desire to just get the whole hullabaloo over with...something that could only be done by coming to a unanimous decision about a group costume._

Mostly however, James knew his predicament was all Erin's fault...

The whole ( _admittedly bizarre!_ ) idea had her fingerprints all over it and, for reasons beyond him, he found it rather difficult to deny Erin anything.

Observing the scene before him, James stumbled after his four best mates and tried not to break an ankle in the process.

The eyes of Scooby Doo herself were glazed over, probably daydreaming about the whack load of sweets waiting for her at Jenny Joyce's house once the firework display was over. Shaggy was proudly proclaiming her intentions of living up to every connation that could possibly be ascribed to her character's name. Meanwhile, Velma voiced her shrill disapproval of all of the above.

Fred _(or rather Erin_ ) fell back into step with him, seemingly noticing how James's footwear was causing some difficulties. She considered him carefully, eyes falling on his slightly blue knees with some concern. "How're ya gettin' on?"

James glanced up at her with what he hoped looked like a reassuring perfectly confident smile _(which it wasn't!_ _)._ The constant fight to remaining standing aside, the short dress he was wearing had caused James to earn a whole new respect for his four best mates. After all, they wore the bloody things all year round to school.

 _Surely_ _Derry wasn't always this freezing, right?_

"I'm a bit preoccupied with staying upright to be honest", he admittedly, ankles going lopsidely in all directions.

Erin snorted in amusement, bringing one of his much longer arms around her shoulders to support her struggling friend. "C'mere, you."

James willingly accepted her help, eyeing his costume in blatant distaste for what felt like the millionth time. "Well, if the entire school hadn't already decided I was gay, they'll definitely think so now."

Erin rolled her eyes.

"Ach, stop yer gurnin'!", she chided somewhat bashfully, tugging at the orange neck scarf she'd borrowed from her Aunt Sarah. "I think ya look absolutely cracker!"

James smiled hopefully, his heart in his mouth. Not for the first time, he found himself noticing that he and Erin were dressed in a couple's costume _. (Not that that had been an incentive for him or anything when he'd reluctantly squeezed into his current get-up! Friends could coincidentally wear couple's costumes, right? The whole situation was, as always, purely platonic...)_

"Really?"

Erin shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other, seemingly torn between having said too much and not enough. Decidedly, she rushed out a further explanation...one that got both of them well and truly out of the danger zone.

"Aye, you'd make a class girl, so ya would!"

James rolled his eyes, letting out his first genuine burst of laughter all evening.

The same comment from anyone else would have been insulting...from Erin, not quite so much. His fingers, frozen from the cold, ticklishly met her sides and caused Erin to spring out from under his arm.

"Oi, Feck off!", she said, furiously swatting him away.

_...and they were back to normal again!_

Laughing like the eejits they were, James and Erin raced down the street in pursuit of the girls. Swirling above them, their warm breath mingled in the chilly Autumn air and joined in with the night sky that stood twinkling over the troubled city they called _home_.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this :) I have a few more ideas floating around in my head after reading the diary so maybe you'll see more of these in the nextlittle while. 
> 
> Enjoy the rest of your weekend!


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